Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday held an annual press conference during which he assessed the current situation in the international arena and presented the results of Russian diplomacy over the past year
According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, around 190 Russian journalists and 170 journalists and representatives of foreign media were accredited for the event and will have the opportunity to ask questions to the head of Russia’s diplomacy. Lavrov’s two previous press conferences lasted approximately three hours.
The Russian minister declared that he will visit Brazil at the end of February for the G20 meeting, as well as other Latin American countries. Russia’s goal for 2024 is to free itself from dependence on the West By 2024, Russia aims to free itself from any dependence on the West in the economy and supply chains, Lavrov told the conference.
“The objectives are clear: get rid of any need to depend on these production and distribution, financial, banking, logistics chains that, in one way or another, are controlled or heavily influenced by our Western colleagues,” he said.
Relations between Russia and China are going through the best period in history for many centuries, the Russian Foreign Minister noted. Russia will pay attention to the integration of new members into BRICS Lavrov said that Russia will pay special attention to the good integration of new BRICS members into the body’s work.
“Russia, which has been presiding over the BRICS since January 1st, will obviously pay special attention to ensuring that the new members have a good integration into our common work”, declared the head of Russian diplomacy at the press conference.
Escalation of the Ukrainian conflict creates strategic risks The President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, “is increasingly disobeying” his Western sponsors, declared the head of Russian diplomacy, speaking about the presidential elections that were not held in Ukraine.
The reason is the desire to stay in power for as long as possible, the Russian minister said.
The West moving towards an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict creates additional strategic risks, Lavrov said, adding that Moscow is not seeing interest from the US and NATO in resolving the conflict.
He stressed that the Kiev authorities were prohibited from signing an agreement already outlined with Russia “by order of the [então primeiro-ministro britânico Boris] Johnson and other Anglo-Saxons.” However, Russia does not refuse to conduct negotiations.
Russia will reach all targets in the special military operation in Ukraine, Lavrov stressed.
During the press conference, Lavrov called media reports about alleged direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine rumors, noting that Ukraine will not be the one to decide when the conflict should end.
He noted that it is clear to everyone that it is not Ukraine that will decide when to stop the conflict and seriously discuss realistic conditions. “Of course we must talk about this with the West,” said the minister. Tense situation in the Middle East.